Kinmen, Hometown of Overseas Chinese: Wang Qingyun Mansion 1934

From the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China era, Kinmen islanders ventured beyond their native island, crossing the seas to seek a livelihood. Their presence was felt in both East and Southeast Asia. Yet, only two or three out of a hundred would achieve success, and only the most fortunate could send remittances back to their hometown to build 'Western-style mansions' as a means of honoring their ancestors. However, a century later, the overseas Chinese mansions in their hometowns have weathered and fallen into disrepair. This project proposes to organize cultural and historical guide training activities related to these mansions. Through systematic course arrangements and the integration of resources from experts, scholars, and local cultural and historical workers, a 'guide memory bank' will be established. This will allow for a re-evaluation of the historical and cultural significance of Kinmen's overseas Chinese mansions and link them with Kinmen's tourism development, enabling more 'seeds' to sprout and become propagators of Kinmen's culture. The Wang Qingyun Mansion, the site of this application, is a 90-year-old five-foot-base Western-style building, representing traditional Kinmen architecture. It currently functions as a revitalized local regeneration space. Kinmen is an important center for the development of overseas Chinese culture. In earlier times, it was difficult to make a living in Kinmen, so many men would travel to Southeast Asia for opportunities. Upon achieving success, they would send money back to Kinmen via remittances and, to showcase their achievements, would build large homes in their hometowns, thereby introducing Southeast Asian architectural characteristics to Kinmen. Between 1920 and 1937, Kinmen experienced a peak in the construction of Western-style mansions. This surge in building activity illustrates the cultural history of Kinmen men traveling to Southeast Asia during the early years of the Republic of China. These Western-style mansions were introduced to Kinmen from Western colonies in Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Western architectural styles, classic cast-iron window grilles, wooden louvered windows, mansion gables, decorative stucco, and patterned tiles each carry their own symbolic meaning, illustrating the architectural characteristics of the mansions and the historical context represented by their decorations. Mr. Wang Qingyun, the owner of the Wang Qingyun Mansion, originally operated a bookstore in Kinmen. In 1937 (the 26th year of the Republic of China), with the Japanese occupation of Kinmen, he planned to leave Kinmen to seek opportunities in Southeast Asia. Regrettably, his wife fell ill and passed away while traveling by boat to Xiamen. He then returned to Kinmen with his family and purchased this mansion on Juguang Road from Mr. Zeng Tianzhu. He subsequently lived in this mansion with his second and third wives and their children, and he introduced baking technology from a Tainan Western pastry factory, opening Kinmen's first Western bakery. Kinmen has over a hundred Western-style mansions, but many are now derelict. This is due to several factors: most of the mansion owners remained in Southeast Asia to pursue their careers, their descendants largely moved to Taiwan for education and employment, and the mansions themselves are antiquated and no longer suitable for habitation. The Wang Qingyun Mansion, the site of this project, has been renovated and revitalized by the Kinmen County Government with the consent of its property owners. Our proposing organization has leased it for operational revitalization, public visits, and guided tours. We hope that by reawakening the cultural memory of Kinmen's overseas Chinese culture – particularly its century-old mansions – and by exploring potential connections with cultural and tourism industries, the century-old mansion sites and their historical context in Kinmen can transform from being a testament to seeking livelihoods abroad into the best foundation for local 'cultural regeneration' in Kinmen, thereby creating opportunities for cultural tourism and for young people to return home and start businesses.